Thursday, May 29, 2014

I’ve never been a morning person. My roommate in college
called me the Snooze Queen. But when life took a downward turn, I didn’t just hit
the snooze button. I turned the alarm
off altogether. I didn’t want to get up. Getting out of bed felt like moving
the Titanic. Sliding out from under the covers to carry the weight of my heavy
heart was the biggest hurdle of my day.

I know someone who is experiencing a downward turn of
their own. We were talking recently and like a helpful friend I offered a
string of suggestions. Our conversation went something like this:

“Why don’t you get outside and go for a walk?”
“I don’t want to.”

“You could watch a funny movie.”
“I don’t want to.”

What about taking a bubble bath?
“I don’t want to.”

I gave up and left our conversation feeling frustrated.
And then I remembered how much I appreciate perky people with helpful
suggestions when I have the “don’t-want-to’s.”

I always groan whenever someone tells me to turn to
Proverbs 31. Seriously, that woman is so annoying. And here’s the reality - King Solomon waded
through 700 wives and 300 concubines looking for that girl. I’m not sure she exists. Verse 15 is
particularly irritating when you have serious sleeping-in skills like mine.

“She
rises while it is still night…..”

Ugh!

I’ll admit, I’ve made some assumptions
about this overachiever. I assume she wants to get up. She’s a morning person.
But what if my assumption is wrong? What if she rises not because she wants to
but because she knows it’s the right thing to do? What if she gets up even
though she doesn’t want to get up at all?

I’ve learned a few things about desire
through the don’t-want-to episodes of my life:

Desire is nice but not
necessary.

If I wait until I want to,
I may never take action.

Doing what I know is good
and right to do regardless of how I feel is actually quite satisfying.

Sometimes the “want to” comes AFTER I take the first step.

I’m still not a morning person. Sometimes
I leave the blinds open so sunlight will seep in. Nature’s alarm clock is the
best. Sometimes I lie in bed and think about rhubarb strawberry yogurt, hoping thoughts
of a yummy breakfast will rouse me. Sometimes I let myself linger and read a devotional
before getting out of bed.

I won’t let the “don’t-want-to’s” keep
me under the covers for long.

She rises. She gets up. She moves forward
with or without the “want-to” and so do I.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

As I watch the sunrise transform the night sky, I
remember my darkness. I
remember days when it seemed unlikely light would ever shine again. It’s
not easy to remember.

Rummaging through old notes and journals, I found an entry
that shocked me. I had honestly forgotten the depth of darkness I once lived
in. Our family had taken a trip to the Texas coast. I got up early one morning,
sat on the balcony and wrestled with grabbing my flip flops for a walk on the
beach. That wasn’t a safe place for me.

“….the thought crossed my mind to walk out into the waves
and never turn back…..”

I was already
drowning in pain. It seemed fitting.

Maybe you find yourself surrounded by darkness. You can’t
see a way out. You can’t see your own hand in front of your face. I’ve been
there and I remember.

Before the light ever broke through, God was with me in the
dark.

One of the tenets of faith is our
God’s omnipresence. He is all-present, with us in darkness just as much as
light. It can be hard to feel his nearness in the dark. Jesus called out from
the cross, My God, my God why have you forsaken me.” Jesus felt all alone, forsaken in the
darkness of that moment. 2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us that Jesus was not alone.
God the Father was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. God was there,
with Jesus all along and he is with you right now no matter how dark your situation
may seem.

The danger in forgetting our
times of darkness is we trivialize coming into the light. We forget how slowly darkness
relinquishes its hold on the night. Hope paints a very thin pink line. If you
are not watching closely you may miss its initial glow.

Hope rises in our hearts at
different tempos. Sometimes it pops right
up. A one, and a two, and a three and
BOOM. Brilliance! And other times,
darkness shrouds hope like thick black molasses and the sun rise drags on like
a funeral dirge. It took two years for the sun to rise glorious in my life, for
hope to revive my heart.

I have lived in darkness.
But I know without a doubt that light shines. Every morning we see this
truth on display. My challenge for those of you surrounded in darkness – wake
up early tomorrow and watch the sun rise. I am praying for you to see light breaking
through.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Have airplane spaces shrunk? I’m cramped between the
window and some guy reading an enormous textbook that spills over into my
allotment. I’m speaking at a women’s
conference this weekend so I’m working on my message, typing on my laptop,
elbows in, when the guy in front of me leans his seat back.The latch from the tray table catches the top
of my lap top. I hear a crunching sound and yank it toward me. This space keeps
shrinking. Tightening all around me. I feel like the world is closing in.

I give up.

The message will have to wait.

I can’t think in this small space.

I click save and fold the screen, twisting and bending to
tuck my computer under the seat in front of me.

When my neighbor reaches for his water bottle, I slide MY
elbow on the arm rest between us. Ah-ha! I’m
taking ground, three more inches of space and it feels like I’ve conquered
Asia.

With my laptop gone, elbows out and the tray table
returned to its upright and locked position, I can breathe again. I plug headphones
into my much smaller smart phone and seek an escape.

Are you grateful for music, for the way a song transports
and transforms?

My fingers press imaginary piano keys. I breathe with the phrasing, surrender
to the rhythm. Grace washes over me.

It’s been a difficult trip with difficult circumstances
and difficult conversations. I didn’t sleep well. I am weary and running low on
hope. But as Josh sings, I feel God loving, restoring and mending me. I feel
hope rising up in my heart too. I remember my redemption story and somehow I find
the courage to believe that God can redeem these circumstances. I choose to trust him.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peaceas you trust in him,

so
that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

The music builds. My heart swell. I relinquish my hold on
the arm rest and REST.

Do you need a breakthrough? Find a quiet place to sit and
soak up this beautiful song. Invite God to break through you.

I'd love to hear from you - share your breakthrough moment!Originally published at A Bundle of THYME

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Motherhood is demanding and it’s easy to get down on yourself. When you wonder if you’re doing a good enough job, pick up a book of fairytales. Seriously, fairytale parents make
anyone look good. I found four parenting strategies I would NEVER recommend in my study of fairytale parents. More in this award winning presentation:

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About Me

Lynn Marie Cherry and her husband David have been married for over 20 years. They have two sons. As a writer and speaker, Lynn is not just informative but relatable, funny and sincere. To contact Lynn about speaking at your event email lynnmarie(dot)cherry(at)gmail(dot)com